Appointment & Scheduling Policy

At Narrative Dentistry, every appointment is intentionally scheduled to provide dedicated time, attention, and personalized care with the doctor. As a specialty dental practice, many appointments require careful preparation, clinical planning, and coordination to provide the highest level of care.

All patients, including new and existing patients, are seen by appointment only. We do not accept walk-in appointments.

When you schedule an appointment, that time is reserved specifically for you. Our goal is to minimize wait times and provide a focused, comfortable experience during your visit.

We understand that some patients may have unique circumstances, including traveling long distances, coordinating care with other medical providers, urgent treatment needs, or requiring additional appointment time. When possible, we will work with patients to accommodate special scheduling requests.

Special Scheduled Appointments

A special scheduled appointment is an appointment that requires additional planning outside of our normal scheduling structure, including:

• Appointments outside of regular business hours

• Appointments requiring extended reserved time

• Appointments requiring coordination with other providers or special circumstances

Special scheduled appointments require approval by the treating doctor.

A $50 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve a special scheduled appointment. This deposit will be applied toward the patient's balance at the time of treatment.

Cancellation or Rescheduling:
A minimum of 48 hours notice is required to cancel or reschedule a special scheduled appointment. Failure to provide adequate notice may result in forfeiture of the deposit.

Late Arrivals:
Patients arriving more than 15 minutes late may need to have their appointment shortened or rescheduled to respect other scheduled patients.

Missed Appointment, Cancellation, & Late Arrival Policy

Our scheduling policy exists to respect the time of all patients and ensure that we can provide timely care to those who need it.

Definitions

• Missed Appointment (No-Show):
  Failure to arrive for a scheduled appointment without prior notice.

• Late Cancellation:
  Cancelling or rescheduling an appointment with less than 24 hours notice.

• Late Arrival:
  Arriving more than 15 minutes after your scheduled appointment time.

Cancellation Notice

If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please provide at least 24 hours notice whenever possible.

We understand that unexpected situations occur. Emergencies and special circumstances will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Missed Appointment Charges

To maintain availability for all patients, repeated missed appointments may result in the following charges:

• First missed appointment: No charge (we understand that unexpected circumstances happen).

• Second missed appointment or late cancellation: $25 missed appointment charge.

• Third and subsequent missed appointments: $50 missed appointment charge.

Missed appointment charges are the responsibility of the patient and are not covered by dental insurance.

Repeated missed appointments or unpaid fees may result in dismissal from the practice.